Rhode Island:The Docket Blog / Court suspends law license of councilman facing crack possession charge Court suspends law license of councilman facing crack possession charge

In a May 19 emergency order, the Rhode Island Supreme Court temporarily suspended now-former Cranston City Councilman Matthew R. Reilly in light of his highly publicized arrest on a misdemeanor charge of possession of crack cocaine.

Bodycam footage of Reilly’s arrest was posted to a news media website, in which Reilly can be heard stating that he had bought $100 worth of crack cocaine the day prior, that he had relapsed, and that he had “just gotten back into this,” the Supreme Court’s order notes.

The order adds that Reilly had been scheduled to appear on behalf of a client in Family Court on May 15 and failed to appear.

On May 17, an order entered in District Court evicting Reilly from his Cranston law office, the order also notes.

In addition to suspending Reilly “effective immediately and until further order of this Court,” the court also appointed Chief Disciplinary Counsel Kerry Reilley Travers temporary special master, authorizing her to take possession of and inventory Reilly’s client files and “take whatever steps deemed necessary to protect the clients’ interests, including but not limited to returning the files to the clients or new counsel of each client’s choice.”

The court noted that Reilly had 18 Family Court appearances scheduled between May 23 and Aug. 9.

Reilley Travers was authorized to have full access to Reilly’s former office and files in order to carry out her duties.

The court said that disciplinary counsel and her staff had contacted Reilly twice by email after his arrest and attempted to contact him by phone, but that he had failed to respond.

Reilly was given until 2 p.m. on May 23 to file his response to the chief disciplinary counsel’s emergency petition, with the petition to be heard by the full court at its next regularly scheduled conference.

Court suspends law license of councilman facing crack possession charge

Primary Sponsor

 


Karma Koala Podcast

Top Marijuana Blog